From his coach to parents, everyone was in tears when Tilak Varma, son of an electrician from Hyderabad, bagged a high value contract of INR 1.7 crore – an amount 8.5 times higher than his base price – at the IPL auctions 2022 in February.
No wonder the bid from Mumbai Indians for a 19-year-old boy, who was yet to play an IPL game, raised many eyebrows.
The likes of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings eventually pulled out of the intense bidding war on Tilak Varma, but Mumbai Indians persisted till the end to bag the services of the youngster.
Advertisement
They may have had a horrible campaign in IPL 2022 but Mumbai Indians will be happy that they had invested in a talent, who like Ishan Kishan and Jasprit Bumrah, is expected to serve them long in IPL.
Tilak Varma, a left-handed batsman who also bowls right-arm off spin, is the highest run-getter for Mumbai Indians this season. With 334 runs across 11 games at an average of above 37, Varma finds his name on the list of the top-10 run-scorers in IPL 2022.
Varma has scored two fifties so far besides playing some crucial cameos for Mumbai Indians at a time when the batting of the side has failed more often than not.
Advertisement
An Emerging Talent Supported By Coach
Born in a middle-class family, Tilak Varma found it hard to meet his expenses to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cricketer. His father used to work as an electrician and the meager salary wasn’t enough.
Then came in coach Salam Bayash, who saw the fire in the boy and showed his trust in him by taking care of all his expenses for practice. From providing food to giving a place in his own house, Bayash did every possible thing to make sure that Varma's training went off well.
"Mere baarein mein bhale hi na likho, but coach sir ka zaroor mention karna (It's okay not to write about me but definitely do highlight Bayash Salam sir)," Varma had told PTI after being bought by Mumbai Indians in IPL auction 2022.
"He bought me the cricketing gears and took care of most of the expenses (at Legala Cricket Academy). So it's all because of him and my family's support I'm here," he added.
Tilak Varma was also a part of India’s campaign at the 2020 U-19 World Cup where the Boys in Blue finished as the runners-up after losing to Bangladesh in the summit clash. He scored 38 and 48 in two games.
Impressive Domestic Form
What must have grabbed attention of the IPL scouts was his recent domestic record. Varma scored 215 runs across seven games at a strike rate of 147.26 in the 2021-22 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He then followed it with 180 runs across five games in the 2021-22 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Tilak Varma took four wickets as well.
Advertisement
The all-rounder, who plays for Hyderabad in the domestic circuit, had made his first-class debut in 2018. While he has played only four games in the format, Varma has a superb record in List A with 784 runs across 16 games at a 50-plus average. In 26 T20s, he has scored 715 runs.
All those performances have put him in an IPL franchise that has Sachin Tendulkar as mentor and another batting great Mahela Jayawardene as head coach.
Tilak Varma’s electrician father had to also take care of the studies and expenses of his elder son besides him. This meant the family could never own a house and lived on rent. A determined cricketer Varma now wants to buy a house for his parents with the money he earns this IPL.
Advertisement
“We don’t own a house as yet. So with whatever I have earned in this IPL, my only aim is to get a house for my parents. This IPL money gives me the luxury to play freely for the rest of my career,” the young cricketer has been quoted as saying.
